Borehole brings up the water after four years of planning

Filling up the watering can before tending to the plants in the garden. According to Taylor Wimpey, spring is the perfect time to fix up your garden with easy-to-grow vegetables and flowers.'CAPTION: Spring is the perfect time to fix up your garden PPP-171003-120426001

Published:19:45Wednesday 19 July 2017

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An enthusiastic group of allotment holders gathered to mark the official opening of a newly completed borehole at the site in Townside, Haddenham.

Gardeners were also able to enjoy a relaxing barbecue during the special event on Sunday, July 9, when a ribbon cutting ceremony was performed by Chris Wylam and Chrissie Jones, the artist who created a mural on the cabin which houses electrics and solar panels.

The project to install a borehole was started about four years ago and work has just been completed after time to carry out a survey, get quotes and finance.

Apart from the drilling of the borehole itself, a lot of the work was done by a group of dedicated volunteer allotment holders.

Tony Soper was project manager and Chris Wylam provided technical expertise, as well as a lot of his time and effort.

The initial estimate for the project was £16,000 but with all the volunteer work put in, the final cost came in considerably under budget at just below £11,000.

Financing was achieved by small grants from McCormicks and AVDC’s Community Chest, and allotment holders raised a substantial sum themselves. However most of the money came from Haddenham Parish Council, as the borehole was designed to provide long-term savings on the ever-more-expensive water bills - a recent charge was as high as £2,000.

Alison Watt, allotments secretary, reported: “As a result of the borehole, the provision of water for the allotments will no longer need to be paid for, and there should only be small overheads for maintenance and the replacement of equipment over time.

“The system is powered by three solar panels and has now been operating successfully for six weeks, pumping every day to 10 water troughs around the site.

“The highest output on a single day has been 7,000 litres, equivalent to 700 watering cans! Equipment supplier was Wind and Sun Ltd, and the borehole installation was by the Weatherhead Group.

To enquire about taking on an allotment email Alison at haddenhamallotments@hotmail.com

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